


Daryl's First Christmas

by TWDObsessive



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Daryl is six, Fuck Gimple, I believe in Daryl Dixon, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Nobody Dies, POV Daryl Dixon, POV First Person, Visiting Santa Claus, Young Daryl Dixon, Young Rick Grimes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-19
Updated: 2017-12-19
Packaged: 2019-02-17 05:19:31
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,696
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13069968
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TWDObsessive/pseuds/TWDObsessive
Summary: Daryl decides that even though his Pa always tells him he's bad, he was going to sneak in a visit to Santa anyway.





	Daryl's First Christmas

**Author's Note:**

  * For [lotr58](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lotr58/gifts), [nel_gal](https://archiveofourown.org/users/nel_gal/gifts), [stylepoints](https://archiveofourown.org/users/stylepoints/gifts).



> Just some baby Daryl Fluff. Unbeta'd
> 
> Gifted to Lotr58, Nelgal, Stylepoints and anyone else who's beta'd for me! Merry Christmas!

I don’t get presents like the other kids. I ain’t sure why. I think it’s cause I’m bad or maybe because we don’t got no chimney. We do get to have a good meal though cause on Christmas, Pa let’s us go to the soup kitchen in town. I think it’s open lots of other days too, but Pa usually can’t drive or don’t remember to feed me. 

It’s just Pa and me since Merle got a job and left home. I wish he didn’t leave. I don’t much like being home alone with Pa. He’s pretty mean and when he ain’t mean he just don’t see me at all. I wish I could get presents, though. It would be pretty need to get a jacket that ain’t a hand-me-down or some matchbox cars to play with in the dirt. So’s I decided that after school when I walked home past the Woolworths I’s gonna go in and talk to Santa. Pa said he ain’t real. But I seen him in that chair everytime I walk by. He was as real as me.

School felt like it went on forever the day I decided I’s gonna ask for something. We was working on numbers and adding and subtracting them. I hate numbers. Then we had a spelling test that I probably failed. I wish I was smarter. I would like to get an A one day. But sometimes it’s just too cold in our house for me to study and I end up curling up in the blankets and just falling asleep. Sleep is good, ‘specially since you don’t feel hungry when you ain’t awake.

When the final bell rang I got my coat. I wore my best one that day. It only had one hole in the elbow but the rest covered me good from the cold. It was pretty cold out but I had to walk home either way, if I’s gonna stop for Santa or not. When I got to the Woolworths I saw him through the window and I went inside and got in line.

There was a kid from school in front of me with his Dad. His dad wore a shiny badge and a hat and when Rick turned and saw me he said hi and told his Pa my name’s Daryl.

Rick talks to me in school sometime. Like once when I got a bad grade on spelling, he told me some tricks to remember. And usually kids don’t like to play with me at recess but sometime Rick will. He’s nice. I bet he’ll get a lot of toys for Christmas!

“What are you gonna ask for?” I asked Rick.

“I want cars and trucks and a football,” Rick said like he done memorized his list. “How ‘bout you?”

“I want new pants, new shoes, lots of Macaroni and Cheese cause that’s my favorite And a matchbox car of my own.”

Rick’s dad looked down at me with a sad face. Maybe he could tell just by lookin’ that I’s bad and probably wouldn’t get nothin’ from my list. 

Before Rick could answer, Santa called him up. I watched as they talked and Mr. Grimes looked down at me again. 

“What’s your last name, son?”

I pouted a bit cause I know what my last name means. It means bad no good people like Pa. There ain’t really many people who like Pa. I know I don’t. 

“Dixon,” I said cause I wanted to respect my elders cause maybe that would make me good and gets some presents. 

Rick didn’t take too long and he had a big smile on his face when he came back. “Is he gonna get it for ya?” I asked him.

“Yeah, he always does!” Rick said with a big smile. I wish I could be that happy one day.

It was my turn to go up to Santa. I was a little shy cause I knew them other kids was impatient waiting on someone like me that probly was just wastin’ time hopin’.

“Hohoho!” Santa said. “And what is your name little boy?”

“Daryl.”

“Hop on up here and tell me if you’ve been good or bad,” he said as he patted his lap.

I ain’t never sat on no one’s lap before. Seen it on TV. Dads and moms and kids do it when they care ‘bout each other. Does Santa already care ‘bout me before he even knows if I been good? I climbed up and he put an arm around my shoulder. It felt nice to have someone be close and nice at the same time.

“So Daryl, have you been a good boy this year?” he asked me.

I ain’t great at lyin’. Pa always catches me in a lie and beats me even worse so I don’t lie no more. I had to tell him the real truth.

“No, sir.”

“What?” he laughed. “What makes you think you are on the naughty list?”

“My Pa says I ain’t no good and I get beat a lot for being bad,” I said quietly. I could see Rick and his nice Dad still in the store standing nearby. I didn’t want them to know I’s bad.

Santa got quiet and didn’t do his Ho Ho’s no more so I took that silence to get in my request. 

“But I’m trying real hard to be better Santa and if you can give me a chance I’d really like to get a new jacket and some Macaroni and Cheese and a pair of pants and shoes that fit better and maybe just a matchbox car of my very own. I promise I’ll be so much better, Santa. I know I don’t deserve none of it but I thought I could ask and tell you that I want to be good and I’m gonna try real hard.”

Santa’s face changed. He wasn’t so happy anymore and I hoped that wasn’t my fault. It probably was though. Things usually are.

“Son,” Santa finally said. “I believe that you are very good in your heart. And I don’t believe you’re as bad as you think you are. So you’ll get something for Christmas. You, Daryl, are on my Nice list. Good job.”

“I am!?” I shouted with awe. I couldn’t believe it! I was gonna get something for Christmas! I jumped off Santa’s lap and thanked him before I ran out of the Woolworth’s so I could get home before Pa. Sometimes he forgets about me when he’s drunk if he don’t see me and then I don’t get in trouble all night.

I worried myself sick the next three days about if I was really gonna have a present or if I was gonna be disappointed. I worried that if I didn’t wake up in time Christmas morning Pa would take my present and keep it for himself.

On Christmas Eve I got my hide tanned hard on account of Pa was out of beer and it was my fault cause I didn’t tell him it was almost gone. I wish I’d have remembered to do that because I was sitting in the dark by the one ceramic Christmas tree I found in the cellar and the floor was hard and it hurt my bottom to sit there still and quiet. I still weren’t sure how Santa was gonna get in. We don’t got no chimney and I didn’t make no cookies to even give him as a thank you.

I fell asleep for a little while but woke up when I heard some noise on my porch. Could it be Santa!? I didn’t wanna scare him off so I moved like silence itself to the window and peeked through the torn, stained curtains....

...and I couldn’t _believe_ what I seen. It weren’t Santa! It was Rick’s Dad! And Rick was with him! They were putting wrapped presents on my porch and they quickly scurried back to their car and left. I rubbed my eyes and wondered if I really seen what I thought I seen. Rick’s dad is Santa?! No wonder Rick said he always gets what he asks for!

I opened the front door as quiet as I could so’s I wouldn’t wake Pa and I carried all the boxes to my room. I got more than just one present! I got _five_. I was definitely gonna try to be good for Santa to thank him for believing in me.

I didn’t have no curtains in my room so the moonlight helped me be able to see as I sat down and unwrapped my presents very carefully. The first one had a note on it that said. “You _are_ a good boy. Believe in yourself. Love, Santa.”

Opening the presents was the most fun I ever had cause I didn’t know what was inside and it was a surprise every time! I got a new jacket, _brand new_. I got a pair of jeans that didn’t got no holes in it at all. I got _two_ new shirts and a whole box full of Macaroni and Cheese. I hate numbers, but I counted anyways and there were twenty-two boxes of my very favorite food! All for free! 

My last two presents were special cause they wasn’t needs. They was wants. I didn’t get a Matchbox car. I got _ten_!! And the last present was a playset for me to drive the cars on. They was the first toys I ever had that was brand new and all my own. 

Before Pa woke, I hid all my Mac & Cheese to save for nights he didn’t come home. I hid my cars and playset under my bed. And Pa didn’t even notice that I had new clothes. 

Once I was back at school, my first class was math with Rick. He smiled at me when I came in with my new jacket and hole-less jeans and a clean shirt. “Did you have a good Christmas, Daryl?” he asked. I understood right away. Knowin’ Rick’s Dad was Santa was supposed to be a secret. 

“Yeah,” I answered. Then lowered my voice to say, “Thanks.”

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you all have a wonderful holiday.


End file.
